Storage Wars, Storage Hunters, Auction Hunters and American Pickers are all television shows based around people finding valuable treasures in unexpected places.

Those television shows continue to grow in popularity, which is why the opening of Kentuckiana Trading in Borden in 2011 was right on time.
The company opened its doors in the summer of 2011 and later that year in October/November started hosting auctions.
Since then, Kentuckiana Trading has been evolving to a point where all eight acres of the old Kimball plant in Borden is now being used for something.
Items include everything from things that have been consigned by individuals to items Kentuckiana Trading bought from large box store closeouts.
Kentuckiana Trading has even ventured into selling guns.
“We’ve got 8 acres under roof at this facility,” said one of the owners Brandon Koetter.
To start the year, the company just launched a new web site shop8acres.com.
“If you have something to sell, you bring it in and we line it up and we showcase it for 90 days,” Koetter said. “After 90 days, if it’s still sitting here, the auction sells it. The item will sell one way or another.”
In addition to the general public consigning items and the box store blowouts, Kentuckiana Trading gets its inventory from estates and plant buyouts.
Now even factories that have equipment they no longer use store the items at the Borden facility and when enough like items have been gathered, a specialty auction is held.
For example, they have started collecting printing items.
“We’ve got several more companies looking to get rid of stuff,” he said. “It’s not that the machinery has no value, it’s just stuff they don’t want. When we get enough, we host an auction and move it for them.”
Koetter said shoppers can be assured with more than 20,000 items up for sale, there is always plenty to buy.
Kentuckiana Trading also sells holiday items as well as collectibles like vintage soda machines, video games, military vehicles and office furniture.
They also lease space to companies that have over-stock or need storage space.
“We’ve got people calling and needing space and we started renting month-to-month space, with forklift service,” Koetter said. “We will get them loaded and unloaded. All they have to do is get their stuff here.”
Kentuckiana Trading also does auctions on the first and third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. and every Saturday morning starting at 9 a.m.
The company is run by the family.
Brandon takes care of marketing, Shane (Koetter) takes care of the warehouse operations, Shirley (Koetter) takes care of staffing and scheduling and Rick Koetter, handles inventory.
“We are pleased with where we are,” Brandon Koetter said. “We’ve got to get our name out there a little more and we’ve got to get more people in. When people come they like the concept. They like seeing things they need and want at discounted prices. That’s the business model. We look to be 50 percent what they can buy items anywhere else. That’s not always the case, but on average, that’s where we are.”
Kentuckiana Trading is located at 555 East Water Street in Borden.
For more information visit the above-mentioned web site or call 967-2002.